Medico-legal treatise on homicide by external violence.

  • Watson, Alexander, 1799-1879
Date:
1842
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medico-legal treatise on homicide by external violence. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    stance affect the respiratory system, so as to threaten suffoca- tion, and afterwards prove fatal by the impression made on the nervous system by irritative fever, or on the vascular system by haemorrhage. These circumstances render a methodical ar- rangement a matter of difficulty, and they prove obstacles to the adoption of one so perfect as could be desired. But as the fatality of wounds or other injuries depends on their affecting, either directly or indirectly, one or several of those organic systems of the body which are essential to life, the arrangement adopted in the following treatise has been founded on this doctrine; because an arrangement formed on this basis seems least objectionable, best suited to the purpose in view, and most accordant with the present state of medical science. Accordingly, the subject is treated of under the fol- lowing heads:— I. General Remarks on Medical Jurisprudence. II. General Remarks on Homicide. III. Of DeathIby Violence. IV. The Medico-legal Definition of Wounds and other in- juries. V. Of Homicide by Injuries of the Nervous System, includ- ing injuries of the head, extremities, burns, &c. VI. By Injuries of the Circulating System, including those of the heart and bloodvessels, death by haemorrhage, &c. VII. By Injuries of the Respiratory System, including those of the wind-pipe, chest, asphyxia from various causes, &c. VIII. By Injuries of the Nutritive System, and organs of re- production, including injuries of the bowels, and the subjects of rape, criminal abortion, and infanticide. IX. Of the Circumstances which alter the Medico-legal Cha- racter of injuries. X. On the Medico-legal Examination of Wounds, how in- flicted, and on the question, whether death has happened by accident, suicide, or homicide ? XI. On the Pleas of Exculpation on the part of the accused, including those of malum regimen, insanity, &c. XII. Of conducting Medico-legal Investigations, and framing Medico-legal Reports.
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